I am slightly surprised Nick Pert accepted the draw. Whatever the computer says, it seems to me that it is White who has the harder task in the final position to find the precise moves to hold. Mark you, having defended for so long against a 2700 plus player, psychologically it is understandable

I can't understand why nobody is talking about RdC v Sugden with the two ancient Cambridge graduates trying to knock lumps off each other. At the moment it looks like a case of "he who queens last, queens best" as the computer favours the Sage of Bourne End.

I can't understand why nobody is talking about RdC v Sugden with the two ancient Cambridge graduates trying to knock lumps off each other. At the moment it looks like a case of "he who queens last, queens best" as the computer favours the Sage of Bourne End.

Howell squeezing something out of this position... (still most likely drawn).

OK, maybe not! Howell draws level with Adams, and as both will get relatively easy pairings tomorrow, it may well be a playoff if they get the same result.

You are entitled to your opinion of course but playing Luke McShane is hardly an easy pairing

I hadn't seen the draw, is it up yet? I can't see it on chess results.com. (EDIT: I am being silly, there are games still going on!) Of course playing Luke is not an easy pairing, but I was under the impression that Adams would get a (relatively) easy pairing, and that Howell had also played all the leading players, but missed that he hadn't played Luke. I saw a comment on chess24 from Jack Rudd that Adams will likely get Black against Gormally.

OK, maybe not! Howell draws level with Adams, and as both will get relatively easy pairings tomorrow, it may well be a playoff if they get the same result.

You are entitled to your opinion of course but playing Luke McShane is hardly an easy pairing

I hadn't seen the draw, is it up yet? I can't see it on chess results.com. (EDIT: I am being silly, there are games still going on!) Of course playing Luke is not an easy pairing, but I was under the impression that Adams would get a (relatively) easy pairing, and that Howell had also played all the leading players, but missed that he hadn't played Luke. I saw a comment on chess24 from Jack Rudd that Adams will likely get Black against Gormally.

The draw is published at 9pm albeit the pairings at the top seem forced. There are still games going on in any case.

Last season, I lost a very similar "drawn" rook ending. I had under 2 minutes v my opponent's 25 or so in a guillotine finish in a match where the result was already decided. My opponent just kept on shuffling pieces, whereas I just wanted to finish the game and go home, as it was about 10-30pm. It didn't particularly matter to me in the context of a meaningless evening cup match, but I was slightly irritated at myself for carelessness, nonetheless. A commendable effort by Keith to generate practical chances, but I feel sorry for James Adair for this happening to him at such a prestigious tournament. If my memory is correct, he once lost a rapidplay game against Hikaru Nakumara at the London Classic from a piece up in a "simple" position where even swindles for a player of Nakamura's ability looked impossible. I suppose players of James's quality learn from these experiences.